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Union
Title: Union Artist: Yes Type: Studio Album Released: April 30th, 1991 Recorded: 1990 Length: 65:23 Label: Arista Records Producer: Jonathan Elias, Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin, Mark Manica, Eddie Offord & Billy Sherwood Union was intended as a union of Yes (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White, Tony Kaye) with ABWH (also including Jon Anderson, with Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe). After Big Generator in 1988, Jon Anderson teamed up with ex-Yes men Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford. The result was Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, released in 1989 and supported by a successful tour. Because of the existence of Yes (which Anderson was still technically a part of), this alternate incarnation were forced to use their surnames as the band's name (after Chris Squire threatened legal action). Meanwhile, Yes began composing and recording material for their follow-up, while Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe did the same. Squire and Anderson came back on friendly terms in 1990 and when they heard each other's projects, an idea was sprung to assimilate both albums into one. The result was Union. The material on the album comes from various sources. The main ABWH tracks were largely assembled by Anderson and producer Jonathan Elias, with many of the guitar parts played by sessioner Jimmy Haun and many of the keyboard parts by a variety of players. "Masquerade" was a solo piece Howe had recorded some time before, included at the last minute when the record company requested a solo guitar piece from him. "The More We Live—Let Go" was the product of a new writing partnership between Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood—Sherwood had been considered as a replacement for Anderson on lead vocals during the ABWH period. "Lift Me Up", "Saving My Heart" and "Miracle of Life" were demos: Rabin had been planning to record them properly and was taken by surprise that they were used as they were (with vocals from Anderson added). "Evensong" was a version of Bruford and Levin's duet from the ABWH tour. Although the supporting tour was a success, the album was not as well-received by critics and fans, and as a result, Union became Yes' last studio album to have significant sales, though it didn't match the popularity of 1987's Big Generator. Wakeman, Bruford, and Howe would depart the sprawling line-up in 1992, returning Yes to its 1983-1989 line-up. It would be the final Yes album with Bill Bruford, and would be the last album with Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman until their return in 1996. Union reached #7 in the UK and #15 in the US during a chart stay of 19 weeks. Track Listing # I Would Have Waited Forever (6:32) # Shock To The System (5:09) # Masquerade (2:17) # Lift Me Up (6:30) # Without Hope You Cannot Start The Day (5:18) # Saving My Heart (4:41) # Miracle Of Life (7:30) # Silent Talking (4:00) # The More We Live - Let Go (4:51) # Angkor Wat (5:23) # Dangerous (Look In The Light Of What You're Searching For) (3:36) # Holding On (5:24) # Evensong (0:52) # Take The Water To The Mountain (3:10) # Give & Take (4:29) Musicians * Jon Anderson - Vocals * Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals * Trevor Rabin - Guitar, Vocals * Steve Howe - Guitar, Vocals * Tony Kaye - Keyboards, Vocals * Rick Wakeman - Keyboards, Vocals * Alan White - Drums, Vocals * Bill Bruford - Drums with * Deborah Anderson - Vocals * Gary Barlough - Synthesizer * Jerry Bennett - Synthesizer, Percussion * Jim Crichton - Synthesizer, Keyboards * Jonathan Elias - Synthesizer, Keyboards, Vocals * Gary Falcone - Vocals * Sherman Foote - Synthesizer * Brian Foraker - Synthesizer * Chris Fosdick - Synthesizer * Tommy Funderburk - Vocals * Jimmy Haun - Guitar * Rory Kaplan - Synthesizer * Alex Lasarenko - Synthesizer, Keyboards * Tony Levin - Bass * Ian Lloyd - Vocals * Steve Porcaro - Synthesizer * Allan Schwartzberg - Percussion * Billy Sherwood - Bass, Guitars, Keyboards * Michael Sherwood - Vocals * Danny Vaughn Category:Albums